Biodegradable vs compostable

[tomc]

I won't tell you which to use, or how to compost them. This is just an observation of how some of the newer *greener* packaging behaves on its way to its next incarnation...

Soy deli containers: retain ther shape and transparency after 30 days in compost bin... IMO these are headed for landfill. Case calls them biodegradable. Hmph maybe.

Corn starch flatware: Soft after 30 minutes in hot food. Mushy after 30 days in compost bin. A much more likely candidate for bin composting. Less so for sheet composters...

[john gault]

I've never had a chance to get a hold of non-petroleum plastic products, but routinely throw in other types of packaging. Krispy Cream donut boxes don't last long at all, unless I sheet compost them into one of my various future-garden spots.

Note to self, just throw them into the compost pile.

[rot]

..
I tried some bowl from some gourmet (every time I hear the word gourmet I reach for my wallet) cup of noodles and the shards lasted through several no particular rush turnings so I finally chucked them.

I think the loud sun chips bag is about 8 months down on a slow cold bin. We'll see.

I'm waiting to see how the levis came out after two years in another slow cold bin. I'm slowly disgorging that one and so far the I found the bones from the squirrel and the opossum.

to sense
..

[rainbowgardener]

After a recent party at my house I put all the paper plates in the compost bin. Too early yet to see how they do...

[parker34]

I threw one of those Sun Chips bags in to my bin 18 to 20 months ago. I did some digging around in the bin a couple of weeks ago. The bag is still there. It is in many pieces, but still not anywhere near being composted.. Stupid sunchips.. Do they still use that as a selling point on their bags?

[toxcrusadr]

I put one of those Sun Chip bags in last year and it disappeared. I might have spied a remnant or two, but it's hard to distinguish from the other detritus that finds its way into the pile.

I think Sun Chips discontinued the bag because it was too loud.

[tomc]

I've yet to dig out any of the couple Sun-Chip bags that went tnto the bin. Maybe this is a good thing--too early to say.

[john gault]

What are sun-chip bags made from? I personally don't think it's a bad thing if some things take a while to compost/biodegrade (same thing as far as I'm concerned). Look at other things like bones, eggshells, corncobs, cardboard. They take longer than many other things, but that doesn't mean they're just sitting there taking up space. If you look closely they've all loss mass with every week that goes by, true much less than other things, but still it's losing stuff (nutrients) to the compost. I think sometimes we get a little too caught up in time.

[Odd Duck]

Yeah, if you're talking a LONG time to compost how 'bout those peach pits? Sometimes I swear I'm tossing the same set of peach pits back into the "newer" heap each time I start using compost. Anybody tested those suckers? I think I finally miss them and they end up mixed in a bed. I've never had one sprout, though! I guess I'm getting things hot enough most of the time.

[tomc]

Yeah, if you're talking a LONG time to compost how 'bout those peach pits?

I plant peach pits and paw paw stones. Good local barter items.

[cynthia_h]

Yeah, if you're talking a LONG time to compost how 'bout those peach pits? Sometimes I swear I'm tossing the same set of peach pits back into the "newer" heap each time I start using compost. Anybody tested those suckers? I think I finally miss them and they end up mixed in a bed. I've never had one sprout, though! I guess I'm getting things hot enough most of the time.

Oh, God. Peach pits. Peanut shells. Timothy hay. Somewhere on the forum I have a list of "slow to decompose" ingredients. Yep. They're up at the top.

Cynthia H.
Sunset Zone 17, USDA Zone 9